On Monday, Washington reiterated fears that Rwanda is supporting a rebellion in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), whose rapid advances have led Kinshasa to expel Rwanda’s ambassador.
“State support for armed groups is unacceptable and we reiterate our concerns about Rwanda’s support for M23,” U.S. diplomatic spokesman Ned Price noted
“We encourage countries in the region to work together to restore peace, security, and respect while respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
He also noted that the U.S. officials “have been in frequent contact” with their Rwandan and DRC counterparts over the past week as tensions have risen into Rutshuru territory, north of Goma.
The M23 Movement is a former Tutsi rebellion that took up arms again at the end of 2021, blaming Kinshasa for not respecting agreements on the reintegration of its fighters.
